The first month of my experience studying abroad in Florence has been fantastic. I have met so many amazing people from all over the country. I have already been making plans to visit different people at their colleges in the spring and also inviting people to come visit me in Kentucky. When I first arrived, the beauty of Florence overwhelmed me. Everywhere I walked I saw something even more interesting and unique than before. Walking through the touristic spots such as the Santa de Croce, which is right down the street from my apartment, makes me feel so blessed to be able to see the beauty of the architecture everyday.

The first two weeks my roommate and I didn’t grasp the concept of going to the supermarkets to shop and buy food, so we decided to eat out everywhere and try several different restaurants. Although this was interesting to find out where the best places were, it hurt our pockets. We finally started going to the supermarkets and cooking our own food, which was the smartest decision we have made here thus far. Our cooking class is helping us learn all the Florentine recipes and we are trying out new foods everyday.

My traveling experience in the first month couldn’t have been better. I went on the SAI cruise to the Tuscan Archipelago. We went island hoping for the weekend and got to swim in the Mediterranean Sea. The color of the water is the brightest blue I have ever seen before. We were served fresh seafood for lunch and it was delicious. I really enjoyed seeing all the great views of the islands and meeting more people in my program. I also attended Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany and experienced the German way of having a good time. Overall the first month of my experience studying abroad has been one of the best months of my life and I look forward to the exciting adventures to come.

Taylor – University of Kentucky